Sometimes we work in the school room but many times we work at the kitchen table or at the kitchen desk where it’s easier for me to assist the kids while getting some of my housework done 🙂 .

And sometimes the kids work on the couch in the living room!!! My son does a lot of work in here because he is more of an independent worker than Alexis.
Here are some of the outside activities we participate in. Alex has played Flag Football on the public school team for 4 years.

Alex has played basketball with public school kids for 4 years also.

Alex has taken Karate for 2 years.

Alexis has been in Gymnastics for 3 years and swim for 5 years – this was her first year to not do swim.

Alexis started piano this year and LOVES it! We have an amazing teacher who comes to our house!

And the kids are in a Sunday evening Word of Life program at our church called Olympians. They just received these awards this past Sunday night for saying all of their memory verses, doing their daily devotions, doing service projects and book reports.

All of this keeps us hopping!!! So tell me – what activities are your kids in that you enjoy?

Courtney, Thank you so much for hosting the linky party, I linked up a Summer Wreath I whipped up this past weekend. Also, I love that you showed off all of your kids extra cirricular activities, although I don’t plan on homeschooling, I think it’s important for the world to know that these kids have very active social lives! Thanks for sharing, I’ve been blessed by your blog for years. Have a great rest of your week!

We do Cub Scouts, AWANA, Sunday School, soccer on a community league, volunteer in community things (for example food drives), go to the park, have play dates, and attend a play group. I also babysit a set of brothers the same age as my sons. They do very well socially and enjoy our life here at home. Thanks for sharing your photos and about your homeschool. It is nice to see what others do. Homeschooling has been such a blessing to our family. We could not imagine life any other way.

Our children have done WOL for about 15 years now, we love it! I have only one in Olympians now, but the last two are with the teens for Teens Involved and just won regionals first place for youth praise band and choir. On to the nationals at camp in New York in June:-)

Hi Courtney- What are the state laws in your state about homeschooling and playing public school sports? The laws in my state are that the child must attend public school for 4 periods/day to be eligible to play public school sports.

In our district they can play with public schools up until 7th grade. We have a girl who lives on our street who is homeschooled and swims on the highschool swim team – she attends public school during the swim season and then goes home the rest of the year – so it appears our school works with homeschoolers…we’ll see if that’s the case when Alex gets to that age…by then he may not be interested or we may find another outlet. I think it’s neat that Tim Tebow was homeschooled all 12 years yet played highschool football and is in the NFL now! God can part seas if it’s his will :)!

Oh the socialization question still makes me laugh. I have homeschooled a loooooong time. My oldest is almost 30 and my youngest if 16…4 down…1 to go. Children’s personalities are more of a reflection of the parents than where they go to school. There are introverts…extroverts in all settings. There have been so many changes over all these years…some for the better…some for the worst. I am so thankful to have had the honor and blessing of homeschooling my kids. All we gained as a family is worth all the blood ,sweat and tears. Keep going… don’t grow weary…the fruit is worth the labor:)

I have a 3 year old boy, and I work full time. I will not have the option to homeschool, because we need my income to pay our bills. He is currently attending a Christian daycare 3 days a week and staying with grandparents 1 morning a week while I go to work.

When it becomes time to go to school, we have really excellent public schools in my town. Honestly, I really think that is all we could possibly afford. I attended both public and private schools as a kid, since my parents both worked, and graduated from the public high school here. My folks were never really on fire Christians, honestly, but I was blessed to go to Sunday School and be active in churches throughout my childhood. I always saw my high school as another mission field.

Are there some ways I can incorporate some of the beneficial things from homeschooling into my son’s life, even though I am a working monther? I do want the best for him, and he is already doing preschool swim lessons and short sports–introduction to team sports at our local YMCA.

Carissa – I love your heart!!! I attended a public school for 12 years also and saw my school as a mission field so I understand your sentiments completely.

I think the main thing you can do to both bond and excel your child academically is read read read and read some more with him. Children are like sponges – they soak up love and time well spent with them.

It’s also important that you are praying and reading God’s word to him and training him to love and obey God – which starts with him learning to obey you. Also, teaching him to serve in the home through simple tasks like making his bed is important.
Hope this helps 🙂
Lots of Love,
Courtney

Thank you so much for sharing..Newbie to Homeschooling and I don’t know hardly anyone in my area who does so your blog as well as others are a tremendous blessing to me and my family. I have our designated area all set up and I am ready to hit the ground running. My oldest son is very excited and he will start swimming this summer. Thanks again and have a wonderful day.

Funny how you included the socialization aspect of your homeschool – people who don’t much about homeschooling don’t realize how much socializing our kids do!
I once heard a homeschool dad/comedian say, “People always ask me & my wife ‘Aren’t you worried about socialization?’ Yes! That’s WHY we homeschool.”

I homeschool my daughter, and we are involved with a very informal church co-op that does field trips. She also takes tap and ballet once a week. I’d like to add more as funds become available. But she’s a very happy and social child.

I homeschooled for a few years until my health got bad (I am fine now thank the Lord) but we were always busy. My kids have all flown the coup now and all graduated from a public high school. But homeschooling or not they were busy and sometimes I think too busy. Often times in the summer my husband would be sitting on one set of bleachers for baseball and I’d be in another field sitting on another set of bleachers for softball or swim team. In school football, basketball, cross country, track, choir, speech, drama, musicals, marching bands, jazz choir, madrigal choir, jazz bands… But we made it through….

We only allow our boys in one activity during the school year so we are not always running from place to place. They had been doing gymnastics for over a year, but they are taking a break from that and doing swimming. My 6 year old will be mountain bike racing this summer (my husband also races). I am very thankful they have not wanted to do baseball or soccer!

Thank you for sharing your homeschooling journey with us. Your kids are adorable. I have homeschooled for many years and I love it. Thank you also for hosting every week and for always being such an encouragement! You are doing great things for God. Have a wonderful week!

Isn’t it funny how people automatically think that homeschooled kids are unsocialized “geeks”?? In my experience, homeschool kids are very well rounded. Sure, there a few instances where you have one that sits at a desk all day and “does school” but the overwhelming majority of them are out there doing things and loving life. They just have more time to do it! <3 Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing! I want a homeschool room so bad! We are working on it while finishing our basement. Where did you get your map stickers on your wall? I need something like that!

I don’t get why the first thing people think of with homeschool kids is socialization! It’s so weird to me. My kids are VERY social kids. They make friends very easily and get along with children of all ages. They are very active in sports in the community, awanas, homeschool co op and the list goes on! It’s so much more fun than being stuck in a classroom all day. 🙂 I love that it is more common these days too. We have a lot of homeschool friends we hang out with through the week.

My daughter homeschools and each of the children have at least 1 outside activity and then church activities. They seem to be good at socialization. One of their daughters is a little shy; but basically they are doing well. I loved all of your pictures of homeschooling and activities. Loved this one!

What a great room for homeschooling projects. Even if you work in another room, isn’t it great to have all your supplies in one main area. A handy plan for grandparents and grandkids too. 🙂 Have a blessed week!

Oh those poor under socialized children :0). Looks like you are in the thick of it…running around and enjoying life with young kids. I miss those days! I have sons 13, 14, 17, and 1 daughter 20 who will be home from college this summer. These days we more or less drive the kids to various employers! They are old enough to work, but not quite old enough to get themselves there! Plus we are down to one vehicle. The next adventure in child raising. Enjoy these days…they go by pretty quickly!